Post by Toaster on Jan 16, 2019 21:11:34 GMT
For those who don't get the Showing Journal i thought I should post the rest of our Equifest experience to go with my other post. This one was printed some months back.
The background: Milo is my beautifully bred but appallingly behaved section A, Isla rides him, Mary is Islas mum. Milo provides better material for my stories lol
I usually try to write these stories in chronological order but with Milos one day at Equifest all too fresh in my mind I feel I should get it on record before the memory is chased from my mind in favour of more pleasant experiences such as having a filling or paying my water rates.
We’d had a wonderful three days at Equifest with Ruby and the plan was to bring Milo up for a single day for the class that he had qualified for.
Milo had one job. Just one class and to go in the ring upright and remain so.
Given his recent good behaviour we felt this was a dead cert, he was now regularly in the rosettes locally and had become a super little first ridden pony. From the second Isla secured the much wanted signature on the qualification card all practice sessions were with Equifest in mind. I put up a separate riding area at home and we lined the fences with flags, hoardings and bunting for the perfect Equifest experience. A sound effects CD was purchased and played endlessly to both ponies with the crowd and cheering noises on repeat although Isla was personally entranced by the ‘burps and breaking wind’ section and I often wondered how many times the ponies were left listening to this unfortunate selection as Isla left for school.
The Friday evening of Equifest week saw me head homewards to swap Ruby for Milo with the plan to drive Milo up for his class the following day. I was very much looking forward to spending the night on a bed that wasn't made of four inches of hard foam and sitting on the poop encrusted floor of a horsebox.
I got home and after settling Ruby in her stable and spending a mere hour or so in the shower I repacked the horsebox and went to fetch Milo for his own shower..
Now I think it's safe to say that Milo and Ruby are not good friends but a few days on his own had temporarily unhinged Milo who did not want to leave her. He threw himself on the ground in the field gateway and I stood embarrassed by his prostrate form pretending that all was well as two of my neighbours passed by with their dogs.
It took two and a half hours to get Milo white and chalked to within an inch of his life, I carefully painted in his white socks with a mix of chalk and water thinking back to the days when such things mystified me and everything I wore to a show was streaked with white. Swaddled in lycra and fleece Milo was returned to his stable to sink in to a couple of feet of fresh straw while I returned to the house to sink in to my king size bed. It was raining and I opened the bedroom window and wondered about lining the ceiling with metal for the full dripping condensation ‘stay away show’ experience
In the morning I was feeling cowardly and so sent my husband to fetch Milo down to the horsebox, a journey of a few hundred yards. Some forty minutes later they appeared, Milo was dragging his feet and sported a mud stain along his side, my husband handed him to me wordlessly before stomping in to the house and slamming the door, I never did find out what happened.
Perky from a nights sleep in a proper bed and with some fresh clothes and a newly clean Milo on board I set off to drive back to Equifest where I was greeted by a very excited Isla and her harassed and bedragged mother Mary.
Milo was an outgoing pony, not much fazed him, he didn't always (or often) behave as fully as he could but he was lazy and as bombproof as they come. It came as somewhat as a surprise therefore that he burst from the horsebox, took in the chaos of paddling pools, gazebos, scooters and children and was immediately horrified by absolutely everything.
Tacked up and ridden through the showground Milo started to get a bit overwhelmed by everything so we took him to a secluded area for a spell of quiet contemplation and a pep talk.
Slowly the whites of Milos eyes receded and he began to relax so we decided to progress to the collecting ring where we were met by many many members of Islas family who had all driven up to watch Milo’s Equifest debut and subsequent (and pretty much guaranteed) evening performance.appearance... as promised by Isla.
Milo however was not feeling the occasion, his nerves had manifested in an unfortunate bout of bad behaviour and twice Isla was propelled slowly but firmly back in the direction of the horsebox. Twice Milo was bought back thwarted and looking livid.
The wait for the class was a long one and as we watched Milo napping in the collecting ring we wondered whether to pack up and go home.
A few minutes before the start of the class we went in to a huddle and debated Milos participation, No doubt many of the listening bystanders were desperately hoping that we would withdraw, put the pony away and head for the bar early but Isla was insistent that she felt that with the distraction of having to do something that Milo would be fine.
Out of Isla’s earshot we agreed that it was likely that Milo would be asked to leave the ring at some point and so with good humour we all took guesses on how long it would take before he was sent from the ring in disgrace. The guesses ranged from two minutes to twenty two minutes with no one predicting that they would complete the class without incident such was the level of optimism
I hereby apologise now to all of the competitors in the Welsh A first ridden class for my decision to unleash Milo in to the ring that day for what followed left even me completely ashamed to own him and goodness knows I had made enough excuses for him in the past.
Milo strolled calmly into the ring taking in the crowds with interest, he stood still to have his number read by the steward and we all looked at each other with raised eyebrows, perhaps the sense of occasion had kicked in and he was taking this seriously.
No sooner had this thought left my brain when Milo started to pull and jog. There were thirty odd ponies in the ring, all looking amazing, all behaving and then there was my pony, head in the air looking like he had never been ridden in his life
Then it happened.
The class was still in walk when Milo gave a single phenomenal buck and Isla sailed over his head.
The class came to a halt, the stewards immediately and efficiently went in to emergency mode, a liberated Milo made for the exit passing a medic who was running in.
The whole crowd fell completely silent, nobody made a sound or moved, the seconds passing seemed like days
Then suddenly out of the silence I could hear my own voice loud and tactless
“Ok who had three minutes?”
The background: Milo is my beautifully bred but appallingly behaved section A, Isla rides him, Mary is Islas mum. Milo provides better material for my stories lol
I usually try to write these stories in chronological order but with Milos one day at Equifest all too fresh in my mind I feel I should get it on record before the memory is chased from my mind in favour of more pleasant experiences such as having a filling or paying my water rates.
We’d had a wonderful three days at Equifest with Ruby and the plan was to bring Milo up for a single day for the class that he had qualified for.
Milo had one job. Just one class and to go in the ring upright and remain so.
Given his recent good behaviour we felt this was a dead cert, he was now regularly in the rosettes locally and had become a super little first ridden pony. From the second Isla secured the much wanted signature on the qualification card all practice sessions were with Equifest in mind. I put up a separate riding area at home and we lined the fences with flags, hoardings and bunting for the perfect Equifest experience. A sound effects CD was purchased and played endlessly to both ponies with the crowd and cheering noises on repeat although Isla was personally entranced by the ‘burps and breaking wind’ section and I often wondered how many times the ponies were left listening to this unfortunate selection as Isla left for school.
The Friday evening of Equifest week saw me head homewards to swap Ruby for Milo with the plan to drive Milo up for his class the following day. I was very much looking forward to spending the night on a bed that wasn't made of four inches of hard foam and sitting on the poop encrusted floor of a horsebox.
I got home and after settling Ruby in her stable and spending a mere hour or so in the shower I repacked the horsebox and went to fetch Milo for his own shower..
Now I think it's safe to say that Milo and Ruby are not good friends but a few days on his own had temporarily unhinged Milo who did not want to leave her. He threw himself on the ground in the field gateway and I stood embarrassed by his prostrate form pretending that all was well as two of my neighbours passed by with their dogs.
It took two and a half hours to get Milo white and chalked to within an inch of his life, I carefully painted in his white socks with a mix of chalk and water thinking back to the days when such things mystified me and everything I wore to a show was streaked with white. Swaddled in lycra and fleece Milo was returned to his stable to sink in to a couple of feet of fresh straw while I returned to the house to sink in to my king size bed. It was raining and I opened the bedroom window and wondered about lining the ceiling with metal for the full dripping condensation ‘stay away show’ experience
In the morning I was feeling cowardly and so sent my husband to fetch Milo down to the horsebox, a journey of a few hundred yards. Some forty minutes later they appeared, Milo was dragging his feet and sported a mud stain along his side, my husband handed him to me wordlessly before stomping in to the house and slamming the door, I never did find out what happened.
Perky from a nights sleep in a proper bed and with some fresh clothes and a newly clean Milo on board I set off to drive back to Equifest where I was greeted by a very excited Isla and her harassed and bedragged mother Mary.
Milo was an outgoing pony, not much fazed him, he didn't always (or often) behave as fully as he could but he was lazy and as bombproof as they come. It came as somewhat as a surprise therefore that he burst from the horsebox, took in the chaos of paddling pools, gazebos, scooters and children and was immediately horrified by absolutely everything.
Tacked up and ridden through the showground Milo started to get a bit overwhelmed by everything so we took him to a secluded area for a spell of quiet contemplation and a pep talk.
Slowly the whites of Milos eyes receded and he began to relax so we decided to progress to the collecting ring where we were met by many many members of Islas family who had all driven up to watch Milo’s Equifest debut and subsequent (and pretty much guaranteed) evening performance.appearance... as promised by Isla.
Milo however was not feeling the occasion, his nerves had manifested in an unfortunate bout of bad behaviour and twice Isla was propelled slowly but firmly back in the direction of the horsebox. Twice Milo was bought back thwarted and looking livid.
The wait for the class was a long one and as we watched Milo napping in the collecting ring we wondered whether to pack up and go home.
A few minutes before the start of the class we went in to a huddle and debated Milos participation, No doubt many of the listening bystanders were desperately hoping that we would withdraw, put the pony away and head for the bar early but Isla was insistent that she felt that with the distraction of having to do something that Milo would be fine.
Out of Isla’s earshot we agreed that it was likely that Milo would be asked to leave the ring at some point and so with good humour we all took guesses on how long it would take before he was sent from the ring in disgrace. The guesses ranged from two minutes to twenty two minutes with no one predicting that they would complete the class without incident such was the level of optimism
I hereby apologise now to all of the competitors in the Welsh A first ridden class for my decision to unleash Milo in to the ring that day for what followed left even me completely ashamed to own him and goodness knows I had made enough excuses for him in the past.
Milo strolled calmly into the ring taking in the crowds with interest, he stood still to have his number read by the steward and we all looked at each other with raised eyebrows, perhaps the sense of occasion had kicked in and he was taking this seriously.
No sooner had this thought left my brain when Milo started to pull and jog. There were thirty odd ponies in the ring, all looking amazing, all behaving and then there was my pony, head in the air looking like he had never been ridden in his life
Then it happened.
The class was still in walk when Milo gave a single phenomenal buck and Isla sailed over his head.
The class came to a halt, the stewards immediately and efficiently went in to emergency mode, a liberated Milo made for the exit passing a medic who was running in.
The whole crowd fell completely silent, nobody made a sound or moved, the seconds passing seemed like days
Then suddenly out of the silence I could hear my own voice loud and tactless
“Ok who had three minutes?”
